


After Dinner Payback

by loeverbky



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst, Gangs, Gun Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, M/M, Mixed/Switching Point of View, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Romance, Secret Identity, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-04
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-02-21 17:35:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18707119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loeverbky/pseuds/loeverbky
Summary: It was supposed to be a simple mission for Chanyeol, a spy in some kind of way.Baekhyun was supposed to be just a grieving pre-school teacher, an easy target. Instead, he's someone who would burn the car of who hurt him just to light a cigarette.





	1. Chapter 1

Melodic; classical music is playing quietly in the background – Calm; the atmosphere is _almost_ peaceful.  
  
On nearly every table sits a couple, wearing a fancy suit or an elegant dress, enjoying their meals, wine cooler on their side as they refill their glasses as soon as they empty them.  
  
In the far back of the restaurant at a table in the corner, their suits are more on the casual side, simple black jeans instead of slacks. Just like any other couple in the restaurant, they are enjoying their meal, with the only difference being that they have apple juice in their glasses instead of an alcoholic beverage.

It was a little awkward, a couple in their mid-twenties dining in a lavish restaurant and ordering apple juice – For his choice of meal, Chanyeol would usually prefer having a glass of well-aged wine instead, but he doesn’t mind it one bit.  
  
Chanyeol has always been the kind of person who likes to have a beer or even something stronger every now and then but ever since he started going out with his lover, he stopped it completely. He was never told to stop drinking, it was always his choice if he wants to drink or not. At first, he simply wasn’t drinking while he was together with Baekhyun, still having enjoyed a beer on a night out with friends or his colleagues.  
  
In the begin, Chanyeol thought that Baekhyun simply doesn’t like drinking, doesn’t approve of someone doing it, after all, such people exist and Chanyeol didn’t want to ruin the image he tried to give his Lover of him.  
  
It didn’t take long for him to find out the actual reason why he refrains from drinking.  
  
Baekhyun hasn’t always been this abstinent from alcohol, Chanyeol had seen pictures of the older at frat parties from when he was still in college; beer and a cigarette in his hands. These pictures made Chanyeol look deeper into it, there wasn’t an actual reason for him to do it as it wasn’t part of his mission, it was simply curiosity.  
  
It took a bit of effort but soon, he found out what caused this sudden change of his standing to alcohol.  
  
What Chanyeol had found where medical records of a night during his Lover’s last year of college and even if he would have wanted to deny it, at that time when he found them, it had Chanyeol’s heart aching.  
  
The medical records stated that on this particular night, Baekhyun had drunk himself unconscious, into a comatose state – he drank himself almost to death even. When the boy had woken up after some time, he couldn’t even remember his own name for a couple of days.  
  
No matter how much Chanyeol tried it, he never found out what had caused this to happen, why Baekhyun had intoxicated himself to such an extent that it could have risked his life. It just made no sense, it seemed that even though Baekhyun often drank, he always had known his limits – there has never been anything that showed him drinking so recklessly that it could cause damage to him.  
  
After days without any results, Chanyeol figured that it didn’t matter, and he gave up on looking deeper into it but that also was the moment when he stopped drinking completely, even when alone. For him, it was just too much of a risk that his lover could taste even the faintest hint on his lips – Chanyeol didn’t want to be the cause of a relapse, even if he didn’t consider Baekhyun as an alcoholic, ever.  
  
In all honesty, being with Baekhyun or just having his mind filled with thoughts of the older, it never mattered to him much if he has a bottle of beer to his lips or not, which was quite a chance for Chanyeol. Furthermore, he definitely isn’t going to ruin their night because of his want to have a glass of wine with it.  
  
  
The thing is, when Baekhyun had asked him earlier that day to go out with him, everything felt normal but as soon as he had gotten the address of the place where they are going to eat, it made it feel special.  
  
They have often meals together, almost every day even but normally, it’s just a fast food restaurant or a street vendor – simple and cheap places that still have meals on their list that taste good. This place, this restaurant, it’s a total difference to these. The restaurant is in the upper-class part of the town, it’s elegant and fancy.  
  
That restaurant being fancy isn’t what makes Chanyeol feel special about their dinner, it is what he thinks could be behind it.  
  
They have been going out for around 6 months and officially started dating 4 months ago. They have shared kisses, lingering touches, and way more intimate things but in that time, they never shared words of love that were more than liking each other, enjoying the others company and compliments.  
  
Chanyeol has felt much more than just liking his lover for quite some time already, he likes to think that he never failed to express that with his body language and the subtle things that could be read between the lines. He never wanted Baekhyun to feel pressured into saying things he wasn’t ready yet and so he never actually voiced out these three words.  
  
He knows it himself best that at times, especially for someone like him, it can be hard to voice out things like that. For Baekhyun, it not much different, Chanyeol knows how things had been for the older in the past – he knows the life Baekhyun is living.  
  
  
Now, this night, Chanyeol thinks that maybe Baekhyun is finally ready to voice out what he feels, the words that had been lingering on his lips for long already.  
  
  
This is the reason why the choice of this restaurant gave Chanyeol such a different feeling, thinking that Baekhyun wants to make it special. Chanyeol couldn’t care less where or what kind of situation his lover would tell him the words he has been dying to hear but if this is the way he wants to do it, there is no way he would complain about it.  
  
Baekhyun had been late to their date, and Chanyeol thinks it was out of nervousness because even when they just sat down at their table, things gradually started to feel rather odd.  
  
From the moment they met for the first time, Chanyeol always had felt comfortable around Baekhyun and it was the same for the older – at least Chanyeol thinks he did – and because of that, it is quite obvious to him that something seems of that night.  
  
Ever since they sat down at the table, they barely talk with each other. Chanyeol tried to have a conversation going, thinking that nervousness is taking over his lover and wanting to put him at ease but Chanyeol rarely got a proper response and Baekhyun has been mostly on his phone until now.  
  
Perhaps Baekhyun is trying to gather courage from talking to a friend about it, Chanyeol thinks. With this thought in mind, Chanyeol didn’t speak up about it, he tried to keep the atmosphere light and kept on making little jokes to get Baekhyun attention back on him, and maybe even a small giggle.  
  
Chanyeol really tried his best to not say anything about this odd feeling but as the time passes, he can’t help but notice that Baekhyun seems as calm as usual – no trace of nervousness. It makes him wonder if he maybe has done something that bothers Baekhyun and that he’s simply not speaking up about it; _punishing_ him with silence.  
  
That, being avoided while literally sitting in front of each other instead of talking about what’s wrong, Chanyeol does not like it.  
  
Chanyeol knows that he’s not perfect, that he’s far from it even but if a problem occurs, that there is something that bothers him or his other, he is the type of person who wants to talk about it to avoid misunderstandings.  
  
  
Then again, it could be that he just worries too much and reads Baekhyun incorrectly and so, he refrained from speaking up about it for almost the whole night. When the closing hours near rapidly, Chanyeol just feels the need to at least hint that he feels like something is off, he doesn’t want to part on bad grounds.  
  
  
Chanyeol takes a breath, placing his fork down after and puts on a smile that is kind of forced but still meant – he wants to keep it light. "I thought this is our night and not you and your phone's," Chanyeol chuckles as he pats the corners of his mouth with a napkin, "Something interesting going on, hm?"  
  
Chanyeol smirks faintly because Baekhyun finally looks up from the screen of his phone to meet his gaze.  
  
Baekhyun doesn’t like the smirk-like smile on his _lover's_ face just like the tone of his voice. It’s disgusting, Baekhyun thinks, that Chanyeol really must be thinking that he has him now.

His lover’s smile, this god damn smirk-like smile; Chanyeol seems so calm and natural, it angers Baekhyun.  
  
For a moment, Baekhyun wonders if Chanyeol really thinks of him to be that stupid. "Nothing much," Baekhyun replies with the tone of voice as natural as he always has when speaking to the younger; he’s good at hiding his true emotions – perhaps even too good for his own sake.  
  
Baekhyun’s eyes wander back down to the screen of his phone. "A colleague asked if I can babysit her child but when I told her that I have a date," he explains, _lying_ , as he makes a vague hand gesture, "You know, curiosity."  
  
Chanyeol knows that colleagues often tend to like to stick their noses into other people’s lives, especially their love life but Baekhyun, has been on his phone for hours and this is what makes Chanyeol not fully buy Baekhyun’s explanation.  
  
Still, he won’t let Baekhyun see his doubt.  
  
"Baby, put it away," Chanyeol whispers as he places his hand over his partner's phone, "For me, please?" he continues with an expression on his face that looks like he’s hurt.  
  
  
Baekhyun _knows_ it's nothing but a lie.  
  
  
The brunette chuckles to himself; looking at his phone for a moment and surprisingly, he puts it into the pocket of his jeans without any more hesitation. "Guess I do everything for you, don't I?" Baekhyun says rhetorically with a short breath of soft laughter, but the undertone has something faintly mockingly to it, which does not go unnoticed by Chanyeol.  
  
Not like Baekhyun cares anymore anyway, he just wants to want to rip the smile off Chanyeol's face as he just keeps on smiling, not noticing he bite in Baekhyun’s voice.  
  
With that, his lover’s phone back in the pocket of his jeans, Chanyeol stretches his arm out to take Baekhyun's hand in his. "I appreciate it, you know?" He squeezes his lover's hand lightly, letting his hand linger over the other’s one for a moment before taking it back.  
After all, he noticed it that something is off and with how he’s speaking now, the tone of his voice, the mockingly sarcastic undertone, he just knows that something isn’t right – he just hopes that Baekhyun would open up about it to him soon, instead of keeping it bottled up.  
  
Baekhyun hums in response, "I'm sure you would," he fakes a smile.  
  
Despite the odd feeling, the smile Baekhyun offers makes Chanyeol feel slightly more at ease because he actually believes that it’s a genuine one. The older can see that Chanyeol believes it, he can see that Chanyeol didn’t notice that the smile is just as fake as his whole public life.  
  
It makes Baekhyun feel great, knowing that this time, Chanyeol is the one to fall for a lie.  
  
As if this didn’t even happen, Baekhyun goes straight back to staying silent as he simply picks up his fork and continues eating. There’s small smile still on his lips, the same thing running through his mind over and over again, thinking it through as a way to try to avoid any mistakes when it’s time – but as the night goes on, as the other people leave couple after couple and he nears the point of no return, he can't help himself, he keeps on staring at Chanyeol – trying to read him.  
  
"Babe, why are you staring at me like that?" Chanyeol blurts suddenly; startling Baekhyun and then laughing softly when Baekhyun quickly averts his eyes as he has been caught by the younger. "Is there something on my face?" the man with the raven hair wonders, kind of jokingly, as he picks up the napkin again to pat his mouth with it.  
  
If Chanyeol wouldn’t have added the last part, he wouldn’t have known what to say to explain his staring but the younger gave him the perfect excuse – Baekhyun smiles and simply nods as an answer.  
  
"Want to kiss it away?" Chanyeol asks cheekily; subtle smirk on his lips, Baekhyun seems more relaxed again which puts Chanyeol at ease that maybe he’s returning to his usual self.  
  
Baekhyun wasn’t planning to lock their lips again that day, not that night and never again but being asked like that, the feelings he doesn’t want to have any more rises unwillingly within him and Baekhyun thinks that maybe, he could go for it.  
  
  
After all, it might be the last one.  
  
A Goodbye Kiss, if to say.  
  
  
Baekhyun stands up from his chair, simply leaning over the small table to place a quick peak on Chanyeol's lips. It wasn’t even a full second that this kiss had lasted but he already went too far with it, unwanted feelings bubbling inside him and he doesn't need to go down the hill further.  
  
Though, Chanyeol seems to think differently now that he has tasted the older’s lips again for the first time of the night.  
  
Perhaps, Baekhyun is only a little bit shy since they are in a restaurant but Chanyeol thinks he could go for a little bit more than just a tiny peak. He takes Baekhyun by the wrist to pull him around the table and it makes him feel content that the older doesn’t seem to mind, doesn’t fight against the pulling and just walks over to him.  
  
With a final pull that barely had any force behind it, Chanyeol has Baekhyun sitting sideways on his lap.  
  
It’s indecent, being this forward in a place like this but Chanyeol doesn’t find it in himself to care. It’s not like anyone else would care either, there is already barely anyone left in the restaurant, just one other couple and another one is about to leave. Adding to that, they are also sitting in a corner of the restaurant which makes it easier as well, no one would notice that Chanyeol has the small brunette sitting on his lap if they don’t particularly focus on them.  
  
"That can't be just it," Chanyeol snickers softly and captures Baekhyun's lips once again; hands resting on his lover's hips and thigh.  
  
The kiss is soft and innocent, Chanyeol slowly caresses Baekhyun’s thigh and the older in response puts his hands on his lover’s shoulders. Baekhyun has always loved kissing Chanyeol, the younger always knew how he would like it to be the most in the given situation but right now, Baekhyun can’t let himself sink deeper into the hole.  
  
He needs to bring a stop to it.  
  
Moving his hand from his lover’s shoulder down to his chest, Baekhyun pushes himself away. " _We_ wanted to have a nice dinner," he scolds without much weight behind it as he stands up again.  
  
Since Baekhyun tries his best to avoid Chanyeol’s eyes to have his mind fully back on his plan, he misses the way Chanyeol blinks at him in confusion. After all, the older has never been the first one to break a kiss just like that, he always came back for another quick peak before breaking it.  
  
It doesn’t take long for Baekhyun to compose himself again, mind clear, he traces his fingers over the table as he walks back over to his chair. "You never know when it's your last,” he mutters under his breath, mumbling barely audible.  
  
"What did you say, babe?" Chanyeol asks; leaning a little bit over the table and tilting his head to the side in question as he couldn’t catch his lover’s words due to the noise the leaving couple from 2 tables away made.  
  
"Oh," Baekhyun smiles when he sat down. "I just said that I want to try their Sacher cake, I heard it's really good," he states, it obviously being a lie that got by unnoticed again, as he waves the waiter over to their table once more.  
  
Baekhyun gets his desired piece of Sacher cake and even though it was just random thing that came up in his mind, as he remembered it standing on the menu, he really doesn’t mind that he had ordered it, it’s delicious. He eats slowly, taking his sweet time, orders another glass of juice and a strawberry shortcake this time and eats even slower.  
  
He really doesn't intend on leaving yet.  
  
The last couple leaves the restaurant but the couple in the corner stays seated. Baekhyun can feel Chanyeol getting bothered as he had finished his last plate already some time ago.  
  
Really, Chanyeol doesn’t mind it that Baekhyun is a slow eater, he already knows that, and he also knows that Baekhyun simply loves to eat a lot and that is something Chanyeol likes about the smaller. He even would go as far as to say that he loves to see his lover stuffing his cheeks with food, he just looks so adorable while eating but Chanyeol can’t shake off the feeling that this time, Baekhyun does it purposely slower than usual.  
  
Chanyeol wonders why and a silent groan leaves his lips.  
  
Of course, Baekhyun noticed it, watching him secretly through his lashes. Satisfaction washes slowly over him.  
  
"Babe," Chanyeol chuckles sweetly, but he can't fool Baekhyun with it. At least not anymore. "It's been 4 hours; the restaurant is about to close down." The taller states the obvious.  
  
That might be true, Baekhyun had been watching the time on his watch close, he knows that the restaurant is about to close for the night, but they won't leave.  
  
At least not yet.  
  
And it’s very likely that not the both of them.  
  
"And what about it?" Baekhyun asks nonchalantly as he brings another small piece of the cake to his lips. Parting his lips and bringing the cake past them teasingly slow.  
  
Chanyeol sighs with a smile on his lips, he doesn’t want his lover to know that he’s bothered by his behavior because, normally, it wouldn’t but he can just feel it that something is wrong. "I know you love to eat and even though you're slow at it, I love watching you eat but I don't want them to kick us out."  
  
He doesn't get a response as Baekhyun just keeps on chewing on the piece of cake that was small enough to have been swallowed in just one go. Chanyeol tries again, "Babe, everyone else already left, I really would prefer it if we can leave a little less stressful."  
  
Baekhyun doesn't listen, doesn't even act as if he's listening, completely ignoring his partner’s words and worry. "Want to try?" he asks; reaching his fork over as if he wants to feed his lover a piece. While doing so, the smile on Baekhyun’s lips is sickeningly sweet.  
  
"Baekhyun," the younger mumbles, sighing as he pushes the offering hand back, "We should just go, it's already past their closing time," Chanyeol informs; pointing out the obvious as if Baekhyun wouldn't know that.  
  
It’s kind of funny to Baekhyun that even though Chanyeol had just said it himself that they are already past the restaurant’s closing time and yet, he doesn’t spend a single moment to wonder why no staff member has come to them to ask them to leave.  
  
"I'm not done eating," Baekhyun simply dismisses his lover's concern.  
  
Something is bothering Chanyeol, it can clearly be seen on his face. "I don't think they care if you're not done yet."  
  
Baekhyun chuckles because really, Chanyeol seems like he didn’t even notice it that, literally, no one cares that they are still seated.  
  
To Chanyeol’s confused look, Baekhyun looks past his lover, his eyes meeting with the only other person remaining in the room. The barkeeper has been looking at the ever since the last customer had left, waiting for the sign and now that he got it, he gives a simple nod in return and leaves the area through the staff’s door.  
  
It’s a natural reaction for Chanyeol to looks behind himself, wanting to see what caught his lover’s attention. He watches the barkeeper walking out like it's nothing odd to let a customer stay behind workhours, without any staff member to watch over them as if it’s nothing unusual.  
  
The night has been weird from the very begin, Baekhyun has been weird and with this, it's getting even weirder for Chanyeol. "What do you mean? What is going on?" the taller questions as he turns back to face his partner, confusion written all over his face and his eyebrows furrowed.  
  
"What do you mean?" Baekhyun laughs; the tone of it almost resembling scoffing even, but he decides to explain it, at least to a certain extent. "Maybe I have rented out the restaurant for us, you know, a nice dinner in a pretty place just for the two of us."  
  
Chanyeol frowns, he doesn't approve of it, "You shouldn't have done that." Maybe he even is skeptical, something about Baekhyun’s smile just doesn’t match up.  
  
The man with the raven hair loves nothing more than Baekhyun’s smile, his laugh but this now, it just doesn’t seem like him. He would know because his lover’s smile has already burned itself into the taller’s memory long ago.  
  
"Why? Because I'm just that poor teacher?" Baekhyun challenges but doesn't even give Chanyeol a chance to answer as he just continues, "What I do with my money is still my decision and if I want to use it on this, then I will." The brunette rebukes as he leans back in his chair and arms crossed over his chest.  
  
He knows there is no reason to, but Baekhyun’s words still make him feel bad.  
  
At least maybe.  
  
Really, Chanyeol doesn't know why Baekhyun brought that up, he thought that things were clear or maybe, Baekhyun only did it on purpose to guilt-trip him for his words. It makes no sense, it really doesn’t because he knows better but he still feels bad about it. "I didn't mean it that way, I just meant that it wasn't needed to go all out and special on our date,” he leans with his body slightly over the table, arm reaching out for Baekhyun to take his hand in his own. “I enjoy anything with you, even if it’s just a street vendor that is barely good enough to not kill us.”  
  
Ah, these words, some in specific make Baekhyun laugh softly to himself and Chanyeol doesn’t even know why. Baekhyun shakes his head, “I wanted it to be special.”  
  
There it is again, that smile that is so sweet that it’s almost sickeningly.  
  
It is odd but it completely passes Chanyeol’s mind when Baekhyun sits up normally again, closer to the table with his body and continues, “Really special”, he adds while his lips form a subtle smirk and Chanyeol swears he saw his lover’s eyes glimmering.  
  
It was enough for Chanyeol to feel at ease again, maybe, this was just some weird kind of teasing him and if there’s a reward at the end of it for him, there is no reason left for him to complain. “Is that so?” Chanyeol ask cheekily as he places his elbows on the table and props his chin up on his hands, “What did you plan, babe?”  
  
  
This position, it’s perfect.  
Better than he could have wanted it.  
  
He has Chanyeol the way he needs him to be.  
  
  
“I don't know...” Baekhyun leaves his words hanging in the air for a moment as he reaches behind his back and under his blazer. “Maybe your death?!” he spits at his _lover_.  
  
Held up by Baekhyun’s hands, a gun that’s pointing right between Chanyeol's eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

His heart drums in his chest, breath stuck in his lung and the passing time, that’s barely even a full second, feels like an eternity – a million thoughts and questions crossing Chanyeol’s mind at once but mostly, the question is __why.  
  
Since Baekhyun barely talked to him for hours, Chanyeol had enough time to imagine many ways of how this night could turn out. It didn’t take long for him to realize that the night probably won’t turn out as great as he had hope when Baekhyun had invited him, so his mind wandered to a direction with rather negative influences.  
  
For a while, Chanyeol just thought that maybe Baekhyun will be just giving him the cold shoulder the entire night, giving him the silent treatment until he figures out what he did wrong and apologize – and Chanyeol did try to think of what this wrongdoing of him could be but he came to no conclusion.  
  
At some point, Chanyeol even went so far as to think that, if Chanyeol doesn’t figure out his wrongdoing on his own, Baekhyun would snap at him, causing a fight to break out which, after some yelling, might would be followed by, probably angry, make-up sex – solely judged from the way Baekhyun had kissed Chanyeol earlier that night.  
  
No matter what, the worst Chanyeol had thought of was that this will be their last night as a couple, that Baekhyun will break up with him, that he hadn’t said a word yet because he simply can’t figure out how to say it.  
  
For every idea Chanyeol had for a possible ending of the night, there has always been something about the way Baekhyun behaved that didn’t make sense. If Baekhyun wanted to break up, then why going to such a place, if he wanted to give him the cold shoulder until he admits to possible wrongdoings, it’s the same again, why did Baekhyun have to invite him to this restaurant.  
  
What Chanyeol knows for sure, that there is a reason behind everything, he just didn’t manage to figure it out, but he really didn’t think that it would with a gun being pointed at him – even worse is that the one holding the gun to his head would be no other than his lover, Baekhyun.  
  
Chanyeol is well aware that Baekhyun very capable of handling a gun but he never thought that he would ever use one against him. There might have been an odd aura surrounding the whole evening up until night, that’s undeniable but there was nothing that could have made Chanyeol consider _this_ to happen.  
  
To be fair, Chanyeol didn’t check for a hidden gun, there simply wasn’t a reason for him to check on his Lover like that when he thought they were just going to have dinner together – the turn of events, it was unexpected, which is why it caught Chanyeol off guard.  
  
Chanyeol’s eyes widening as the jumps up at the sight of the gun close to his face, “What are you doing?!” he exclaims in surprise, almost screeching even as the chair behind him emits a loud thud, falling over due to Chanyeol’s hastily rise as he’s reaching out his arms, hands trying to get a hold of the gun.  
  
The moment Baekhyun sees Chanyeol rising from his chair, hands reaching out for the weapon in his hand, Baekhyun stands up as well to take a step back, knocking his chair over while doing so. “Stay right fucking there!” Baekhyun spits out, all while keeping his gun aimed at his lover.  
  
The adrenaline rushing through Chanyeol keeps him from realizing what exact situation he’s in, he still doesn’t understand what’s happening to him, to them, in this very moment. To Chanyeol, there’s just no way that Baekhyun would do that to him on his own accord, that there must be something more behind it but whatever it is, Chanyeol thinks that they can talk about it and they will find a way together out of it.  
  
“You don’t have to do that!” Chanyeol tries, still thinking that this just can’t be what Baekhyun wants – his mind focusing on too many things at once, making him not see the madness evident in Baekhyun’s eyes.  
  
“Oh, really?” Baekhyun scoffs mockingly, “I don’t?”  
  
The tone of Baekhyun’s voice, the cold ridiculing tone, it makes Chanyeol stand still on the spot, arms still hanging mid-air as if to reach for the gun without actually going for it. “Baekhyun, I don’t understand what's going on!”  
  
“Drop the fucking act, Park!” Baekhyun yells, his voice resonating from the walls, anger pulsing within his veins – he wants to scream and yell at the same time, Chanyeol’s acting driving Baekhyun deeper into fury.  
  
Chanyeol blinks once, twice. “What?” slips past his lips subconsciously as he’s stunned by Baekhyun’s outburst, dumbfounded by the way Baekhyun referred to him – just nothing makes sense to Chanyeol.  
  
Baekhyun grits his teeth, hands clenching around the gun’s handle. “I know that you know, and you know that I know!” he snaps, yelling while he flaunts his gun to his words.  
  
Finally, as if a light went on, Chanyeol realizes that this isn’t just Baekhyun being angry at him, he realizes that he has been set up by the other – by his own lover.  
  
Chanyeol should have known but just now, he realizes what the odd aura surrounding them was, it was Baekhyun being set on his plan to end his life and the restaurant’s staff being in fear of him. What Chanyeol had seen as rude personal was, in reality, them being wary of them – them being scared of Baekhyun as they must know who he is, who his connections are.  
  
It’s almost embarrassing that Chanyeol didn’t notice it, he has been trained to notice even the tiniest hint of a set-up, of traps, anything dangerous and yet, he didn’t notice it even though there had been so many indications.  
  
In any other situation in which a gun is pointed straight at him, Chanyeol would have drawn his own gun by now, shooting the other before they could shoot him but this, this is different. Chanyeol knows that he also could flee the scene, causing confusion and taking the first opportunity but he doesn’t want to leave, not like that, not when his opponent is Baekhyun.  
  
He doesn’t want to part like this, he has the feeling that Baekhyun won’t kill him because, if he really would want to, he would already have done that. Chanyeol is torn between running and trying to reach out to Baekhyun again when he can tell for sure that he does not have a gun with him, or trying to talk it out now.  
  
That he’s in danger is undeniable, he thinks Baekhyun wouldn’t shoot him, but he can’t be too sure about that.  Chanyeol can see the fury burning in his lover’s eyes but still, he can’t bring himself to just leave and so, he surrenders, wanting to take the edge off and de-escalating the situation.  
  
“Okay,” Chanyeol sighs as he momentarily raises his arms to the sides of his body before letting them fall. Despite the raging worry within Chanyeol, he breathes slowly to appear calm as he continues, “Yes, I know.”  
  
Baekhyun doesn’t answer, his jaw clenching and his arms beginning to become unsteady, even if it’s barely visible.  
  
Although Chanyeol admitted to what Baekhyun wanted him to, it’s bothersome that Baekhyun stays quite because Chanyeol still doesn’t understand what exactly is going on. Rubbing over the bridge of his nose, distressed, Chanyeol continues: “We can talk about it!”  
  
Despite the faint trembling of Baekhyun’s arms, the gun remains aimed at Chanyeol, which makes him go for another try, “Just please put the gun down,” Chanyeol pleads; reaching for the weapon and his voice so soft as if the firearm is not directed at him with the intent to end his life.  
  
Just like before, Baekhyun takes another step back, wanting to keep Chanyeol on distance but he still won’t lower the gun.  
  
As he steps back, Baekhyun scoffs in response, amused by Chanyeol’s try to take control over the situation. “You wish, don't you?” Baekhyun angrily replies fumingly while walking in a small circle around his previous standing spot, tapping the muzzle of the gun twice against his temple before standing still again and his gun pointing back at Chanyeol.  
  
“Baekhyun, I don’t understand, can’t you just tell me what’s going on?!”  Chanyeol vociferates, irritated.  
  
His jaw his tensed, lips pressed into a thin line but Baekhyun can’t hold it back any longer. “Was it fun, huh?! Was it?!” Baekhyun yells, his last nerve that was holding back an outburst snapping, “Had fun recording everything?!”  
  
Baekhyun’s frustrated, about the situation, about Chanyeol, about his own stupidity and even dumber feelings – just about anything and everything at once.  
  
Chanyeol’s eyes widen as he didn’t expect to hear what Baekhyun accused him of. “I –” Chanyeol starts, stammering over his own words and unable to form any proper ones, not even knowing where he wants to go with his sentence in the first place.  
  
“You what?!” Baekhyun yells.  
  
Chanyeol always has been good with words but now, he’s lost. “I just wanted to have a nice date with you!” Chanyeol retorts, almost yelling, as frustration seethes under his skin.  
  
“Oh, really?” Baekhyun sneers, laughing back at Chanyeol as he lowers his gun and slow steps towards the taller.  
  
It’s almost like Chanyeol is frozen, lips parted but remaining silent while watching with his breath stuck in his throat as Baekhyun comes closer.  
  
Baekhyun moves the gun to his left hand to have his other one free to use, he smiles wickedly as he lays his right hand low on Chanyeol’s waist, palm pressed flat right where the belt is. Chanyeol looks at Baekhyun with furrowed eyebrows, confusion written all over his face and before he can connect one and once, Baekhyun slides his hand between the buttons and under the shirt.  
  
“Does everyone go wired to a date?!” Baekhyun yells; a button popping off as he tears a small device out from underneath Chanyeol’s shirt. In a matter of a split of a second, Baekhyun throws the miniature recording device to the floor.  
  
That Chanyeol has the audacity to think of him as that stupid, especially after his secret has been found out, it makes the blood in Baekhyun’s veins boil. “Did you really think I wouldn't know?” Baekhyun adds rhetorically, voice heavy with fire, as he crushes the once hidden recording device under his foot.  
  
Baekhyun’s furious and the gun is up, raised again to aim at the man in front of him.  
  
For a fraction of a second, Chanyeol felt the feeling of surprise that Baekhyun seemed to have known about the device taped to his stomach but considering Baekhyun had known about him, his _profession_ , for weeks already – it’s not that much of a surprise – it just raises confusion as Chanyeol wonders __how Baekhyun knew and not why.  
  
The device was a tiny one, attached low on Chanyeol’s stomach, right where the waistband of his pants is. The position was chosen so that no matter which angle he would turn his body, with the help of the belt, it wouldn’t cause the fabric of his shirt to move in a way that it would reveal that there is something other than skin hidden beneath it.  
  
Never before had Chanyeol had such a device for recording with him when meeting up with the other and that one time he did, Baekhyun knew about it. What caused the surprise he momentarily felt after the reveal of Baekhyun’s knowledge is that Chanyeol was just so careful about it, having double and even triple checked the device and all the wires before leaving his car.  
  
  
Then again, it’s Baekhyun who he’s facing, and he knows a thing or two about Baekhyun and his history.  
  
  
Despite the fact that Chanyeol won’t show any sign of uneasiness, he wonders – almost anxiously even – how Baekhyun knew.  
  
Perhaps the older wasn't late because of the traffic as he had said, but more like that Baekhyun has already been there, hiding somewhere and watching Chanyeol as he waited and during that time, he saw him adjusting the microphone by his car. It could be possible because, when thinking back to when Baekhyun arrived, it had been only a couple of minutes after he had adjusted it that Baekhyun pulled up in his car and parked close to him – On the other Hand, isn’t exactly sure why he would do that if he already was upset about other things because, even if he didn’t precisely say what this is about, Chanyeol can feel that it’s not just about the microphone.  
  
Although Chanyeol can’t tell for sure if this is how his lover knew but also knowing that it wouldn’t be the best way to have Baekhyun find out, it’s the best Chanyeol could wish for.  
  
Another option, the worst one, that comes to Chanyeol’s mind is that Baekhyun may have known about it since the previous day – that he had already known about it just a few moments after Chanyeol had agreed to have dinner together on the following day.  
  
When Chanyeol had received the call in which Baekhyun asked him out for the next evening, he had been at his boss’ hideout. It was terrible timing, but his phone wasn’t put on silent and so he had to pick it up. Despite having taken some steps aside and talking in a tone that was quieter than usual while trying to not appear suspicious, it didn’t do much and his boss still managed to easily figure out who Chanyeol was talking to and hearing about the dinner invitation.  
  
Lips formed Baekhyun’s name in a question and Chanyeol had to agree to the meetup; Jaekwang’s eyes have been watching him intensely.

As soon as Chanyeol hung up the call, his boss – Jaekwang – came up with the plan of hiding a microphone as was still exasperated by the lack of information Chanyeol had provided him within the past months.  
  
Despite not knowing how; Chanyeol knows that there is a possibility that this was the moment in which Baekhyun found out about the small device. It has Chanyeol gulping because if it was how his lover knew, Baekhyun would have heard every word they had said – he would have heard every word Chanyeol had said.  
  
The former option might not be the best either but Chanyeol prays that Baekhyun found out that way.  
  
“Baekhyun, just put that gun down already,” Chanyeol pleads again, stepping forward because no matter how much he wants to explain himself, he wants the gun to be out of sight first. “Please,” Chanyeol begs, voice soft but almost desperate as he takes another step forward, reaching out for the gun in his lover’s hands.  
  
Much to Chanyeol’s surprise, he manages to get hold of the gun this time. His hands are placed on top of the weapon and his fingers are brushing against Baekhyun's hands. Chanyeol just stays still, he doesn't try to pull the gun out of his Baekhyun’s grip yet, as he knows he needs to be careful and needs to move slowly, not wanting to risk that a bullet might get fired accidentally.  
  
Baekhyun’s looking at their gazing hands on the gun, his expression softening and for a moment, Chanyeol thinks that Baekhyun has given in. A small, barely visible, smile begins to bloom on Chanyeol’s lips as he thinks that Baekhyun is finally calming down and that he’s ready to let Chanyeol talk, that he’s ready to listen properly to what he has to say.  
  
There is a moment of silence and Baekhyun doesn’t seem like he’s going to say anything anytime soon as he just keeps looking at their hands on the gun. Chanyeol wants to speak up again, wants to break the silence and even considers to slowly withdraw the weapon out from his lover’s hands.  
  
Just as Chanyeol is about to part his lips to form words, he gets interrupted, a loud noise echoing from the walls as Baekhyun breaks out into laughter, almost sounds manically even.  
  
Every thought that is running through Chanyeol’s mind is clearly to be understood by Baekhyun, he can see the confusion in the younger’s eyes. That Chanyeol really thought to have him, to have gained the control over what’s happening and it’s ludicrous to Baekhyun.  
  
  
There is no way that Baekhyun would let it pass as easily as he did before. Baekhyun is sick of Chanyeol’s behavior, he’s sick of being seen as that easy – not again, not anymore.  
  
  
When before all Baekhyun did was taking a step back, this time, the brunette pulls the gun out from Chanyeol's hand and, without wasting any time, he rams his elbow into his Chanyeol's middle. It wasn't too hard of a blow or at least it would have been manageable for someone like Chanyeol, but the difference is that it was unexpected and that Baekhyun knows where to aim for the weakest spot – and Baekhyun hits that spot precisely, having Chanyeol's legs go weak instantly and give away underneath him.  
  
Chanyeol drops to his knees as he curses under his breath, air knocked out of him and panting for air while Baekhyun just watches silently as Chanyeol winches in pain. “B-Baekhyun, it really isn't w-what you think,” Chanyeol stutters, hands clutching to where the pain emits, where he had taken the hit. “It wasn't even recording a-anything!”  
  
“ _‘It isn’t what it looks like’_ ? Isn’t that what the guilty always say?” Baekhyun taunts in reply in a mocking manner with a short breath of a laughter, cracking his neck in distaste. “As if I'm believing you even one word!”  
  
The pain is still extremely prominent, he shouldn’t have underestimated what Baekhyun is capable of doing but he’s still not giving up on talking to his lover. That Baekhyun said that he isn’t believing him even just one word makes it even more important for Chanyeol to speak up, he can’t leave it like that.  
  
Chanyeol shakes his head, “No…” he mumbles, still short in breathe as he slowly pushes himself back up, bracing himself with his hands on his thighs as he’s slightly struggling with staying balanced. “You don't, Baekhyun, you don't.” Chanyeol forces past his lips, his voice is quiet and strained as he rises back onto his feet.  
  
“I don't?” Baekhyun scoffs at Chanyeol’s words, laughing at how ridiculous Chanyeol looks to him. He’s wondering about who Chanyeol is trying to fool because right now, he thinks that the younger must be trying to fool himself. Chanyeol keeps shaking his head, claiming that Baekhyun doesn’t know a thing but Baekhyun’s not taking any of Chanyeol’s bullshit anymore, “I bet you that I do!” he yells.  
  
Chanyeol wants to counter him because, _‘no you don’t’_ , he thinks but as soon as he parts his lips, the words get stuck in his throat as Baekhyun continues before he could even start.  
  
  
“So, you're trying to tell me you weren't spying on me, that you weren’t trying to gather information from me about **_Scarlet_**?”  
  
  
Unexpectedly, Baekhyun steps forward, close enough to press the muzzle of his gun against Chanyeol's chest. “Huh?” Baekhyun stops, tilting his head to the side in feign confusion and he even has the audacity to look up to Chanyeol with a pout on his lips. “Aren't you going to pull your gun on me?” Baekhyun asks, the pout forging a strange kind of innocence, before breaking into laughter that makes him look like nothing but a lunatic.  
  
Chanyeol freezes, even holding his breath; not because Baekhyun is pressing the gun right to where his heart is but because he didn’t think that Baekhyun would have noticed that he himself carries a gun. He didn’t notice it that Baekhyun had a weapon with him, so it is kind of reasonable that he would have thought that Baekhyun didn’t know about his – but also, there was no reason for him to think that Baekhyun would have one with him. The thing is, by now he really shouldn’t be surprised that Baekhyun found out about the gun strapped under his belt on his backside when the older already found out about a certain device that was way smaller than the weapon at his back.  
  
Chanyeol can’t deny that he has a gun with him, he always does have a gun or at least a butterfly knife with him due to the background he is coming from but he’s sure that Baekhyun never noticed until now. Whenever he had met up with the smaller, he had something within reach, but he never carried a weapon to ever hold it against Baekhyun – ever.  
  
As an answer, Chanyeol only shakes his head, not trusting his voice.  
  
“I know that you thought of me as this poor little teacher who is struggling with money caused by the funeral costs of his husband, didn't you?” Baekhyun accuses, saying everything Chanyeol had heard before. “You thought I didn’t actually know about that little group of people that were suddenly checking up on me, right?” Baekhyun scoffs a laughter, continuing his accusations while pushing the gun into the flesh of Chanyeol’s chest to give even more weight to his words as if the cold tone of his voice wouldn't be enough.  
  
And maybe, this is the point where Chanyeol realized that Baekhyun really does know more than he initially thought he did. Chanyeol knew that Baekhyun found out that he is in a gang, that he was set up to approach Baekhyun and he knows that isn’t a pretty thing to know but there wasn’t much worry wasted on it as Baekhyun didn’t seem to be affected by it – but now, Chanyeol think that he maybe should have talked to Baekhyun about it instead of just letting it stand like that and fade into the sand.  
  
Baekhyun already knows, knows more than Chanyeol thought he did and now that he has the chance to talk, he doesn’t see a reason to deny the truth, knowing that if he would, it would make it worse than it already is. “Yes,” he forces past his lips with a heavy heart and even with a gun pressed to his chest, Chanyeol doesn’t make a move to back away from Baekhyun.  
  
Baekhyun exhales in a short breath of a laughter, smirking mockingly with his lips parted and his eyes having something about them that makes them look almost insane. “You thought it would be easy. You thought _I_ would be easy, didn't you?”  
  
No matter how reluctant Chanyeol is to admit to this accusation, Baekhyun is right about it, he did think of him as an easy target. Not only the mission seemed easy to him but Baekhyun himself seemed to be easy. He thought, he would get him just like that, that he would have him do whatever he wants with the snap of his fingers – but that was before he knew Baekhyun.  
  
  
They were wrong.  
  
Chanyeol was wrong.  
  
  
But no matter how wrong his first impression of Baekhyun was, he can’t deny that he had it. “Yes,” Chanyeol mutters, nodding with his eyes averted from Baekhyun and his chest hurting.  
  
When it was just a slight trembling before, Baekhyun now can feel his arms visibly shaking and he has to tense up the muscles to an immense extent to keep his arms steady and to have it go by unnoticed. You're a fucking liar, aren't you?” Baekhyun laughs; he’s furious but he also feels incredible hurt, worse than he did before and that simply for the fact that now, Chanyeol admitted to what he knew before. “You played with me, you did nothing but used me,” he yells.  
  
Although Baekhyun is trying his best to hide it, Chanyeol can literally _hear_ the hurt in the older’s voice and to think that what he’s about to say, he knows it won’t help to make it any better and it has his heart stinging.  
  
Chanyeol hasn’t even answered yet, but he already hates himself for the words he has to force to go past his lips because anything else he might want to say, would just enrage Baekhyun even more.  
  
“Yes,” Chanyeol whispers as he raises his head to look Baekhyun in the eyes, “Yes, I did when I first approached you.”  
  
This is everything Baekhyun wanted to know – needed to know – before he wanted to pull the trigger on his _lover_. He wanted Chanyeol to confess and admit to his lies and then, he wanted to see him dead, seeing him die with his own eyes. Furthermore, he wanted to be the one to kill him, he wanted to see him being in pain until he takes his last breath ever.  
  
When these thoughts formed in his head, Baekhyun was controlled by anger, by rage but now, Baekhyun doesn’t even know what he wants anymore.  
  
Baekhyun wanted Chanyeol to pay for thinking of him as someone that is just so utterly stupid to not realize what is happening around him. He wanted him to pay for all the lies he had told, to pay for all the feelings he had hurt – he wanted to make him suffer just how Baekhyun did when he found out that the man he fell in love with saw him as nothing but a mission.  
  
It is exactly what Baekhyun wanted but now, that he got Chanyeol to say the answers he already knew and wanted to hear, everything he had wanted just seems to be so blurry and doesn’t make any sense anymore.  
  
It’s not like Baekhyun had imagined it to be when he hears the Chanyeol’s confession, not even close. The words hurt more than he thought it would and maybe it had hurt him ever since he found out and this pain was just buried under anger.  
  
  
Baekhyun's finger twitches on the trigger as he stares into Chanyeol's pleading eyes.

  
He can't do it – for the first time in years, Baekhyun can't bring himself to pull the trigger of a gun.  
  
  
Baekhyun can see that Chanyeol is either waiting for him to either just pull the trigger, literally surrendering to him and offering his life in exchange for what he had done, or to say something –  _ anything _ – to accuse him, to insult him and just let his fury out on him but Baekhyun can do neither.  
  
Baekhyun’s finger keeps twitching, he can feel it, he would only need a little bit more pressure and he would be pulling the trigger – but he doesn’t. Instead, the older bites his bottom lip as he shakes his head from side to side as if in disbelief and takes slow steps backward as he’s doing so.  
  
He can't look Chanyeol in the eyes any longer, just like he can't stand the feeling of the other’s eyes on him anymore, almost as if Chanyeol’s gaze is physically hurting him. Baekhyun doesn’t think and in some sort of a knee-jerk reaction, all that is in Baekhyun’s mind is the thought of running away.  
  
And that is what he does, taking another step back and then turning to the side, starting to run immediately.  
  
Chanyeol already saw it in Baekhyun’s eyes, he saw that Baekhyun wanted to just get away from the situation, that he’s ready to flee the scene at any given moment, so when it actually happened, Chanyeol instantly took off after him.  
  
Chanyeol could have just let him leave but he can’t let this be it, he can’t let things end like this but also, Baekhyun is at his breaking point and Chanyeol thinks that with just one more push, he would have Baekhyun break, giving him the chance to let out what he’s been holding in.  
  
The reflexes of Chanyeol are fast and barely a few steps from where they previously stood, he already caught up to Baekhyun, stopping him in his tracks as Chanyeol took hold of his dainty wrist.  
  
  
And then, all that follows is deafening silence.  
  
  
Nothing is how it was supposed to be, it wasn’t planned to be like this, Baekhyun wasn’t supposed to feel like this when a bullet leaves the barrel. Baekhyun came with the intention of ending Chanyeol’s life but now that a shot actually has been fired, the silence that’s following the suppressed bang is almost suffocating.  
  
  
All Baekhyun can hear is his own racing heart.  
  
  
Everything just moved so fast, too fast.  
  
  
Baekhyun was turned around by the grip on his wrist and while still turning, he pulled the trigger, firing his gun out of reflex without thinking. The bullet hit a framed picture behind them, making it fall off the wall and taking the vase, that was on the shelf below, down with it and have it shattering on the marble floor.  
  
In the same moment as the loud noises filled their ears, Chanyeol’s hand flew to his own neck instantaneously. His hand found its place on the side of his neck, his palm covering the burning mark that the bullet that streaked him had left behind.  
  
Despite being grazed by a bullet, Chanyeol doesn’t say a word, no pained noises leaving his lips as he’s frozen in shock. All Chanyeol does is staring wide-eyed at Baekhyun, too paralyzed to even move the slightest while his other hand is still holding onto Baekhyun’s wrist.  
  
Baekhyun, too, is frozen on the spot and his eyes are just as wide as the ones staring back at him – his gun still hanging awkwardly in the air.  
  
  
Both just stare at each other, stunned and unable to say anything.  
  
  
Chanyeol’s eyes are wide but his face is completely blank, too frozen from the shock of what just happened to even feel the burning pain of the wound the bullet that grazed the skin of his neck had caused.  
  
Subconsciously, Baekhyun’s eyes wander from Chanyeol’s eyes to the hand on his neck. Right there, the bullet has inflicted damage which is hidden by Chanyeol’s palm, but he can see red coming out from under the trembling hand. As if in a trance, Baekhyun watches the blood trickling down Chanyeol’s neck; focused but unable to mentally grasp it. Only when the blood reaches the collar of Chanyeol’s button-up shirt, staining the white fabric with red, Baekhyun snaps out of it – Just then, Baekhyun realizes that this is real, that this really happened, and a stinging feeling flares up behind his ribcage.  
  
At this point, it’s as if Baekhyun’s life is ruled by decisions that were made without thinking about them. Too many things are going on inside Baekhyun’s mind; some tell him to say something, some tell him to reach out for the wounded man staring at him in shock but too many thoughts tell him to flee the scene – to just run and never look back.  
  
And that’s what Baekhyun does.  
  
Baekhyun pulls his arm out of Chanyeol’s grasp that had tightened from the shock, pushing his arm away and almost causing him to lose balance from the sudden movement. Without a second thought, Baekhyun tears his eyes away from Chanyeol, turning around to just run away from anything that had happened – leaving it behind as if it didn’t.  
  
  
Baekhyun manages to vanish behind the restaurant's entrance door before Chanyeol apparently regains his senses, and despite hearing Chanyeol yelling his name, Baekhyun just keeps running.

 


End file.
